Celtic summer signing delighted with Hoops depth; speaks on Jullien return

By Euan Davidson

January 21, 2022

Celtic summer signing Carl Starfelt has spoken about the sheer options the Hoops now have, including returning centre-back Christopher Jullien.

Jullien has been missing since last December, after colliding with a post to prevent Dundee United scoring at Celtic Park. His recovery has been an immense undertaking, but he’s back in training.

Also in training are a number of new players, now including Matt O’Riley, who joined Celtic last night. Reo Hatate won Man of the Match in his first outing, Daizen Maeda got a debut goal, and Yosuke Ideguchi impressed briefly having come off the bench against Hibernian.

Irish striker Johnny Kenny has also joined the squad, in an efficient January transfer window. And Starfelt, a key cog of a successful Celtic defence, is delighted with the options around him.

Starfelt explained [Herald]: “[I’ve] always been pretty confident in this squad all along but it’s great to see reinforcements. It gives us more depth in the group, which is really important with so many games. It’s not just going to be 11 players who do it – we need everyone. You can rotate in some games and rest players at times.

“We are looking strong. It’s always good to have competition for places. It pushes everyone to really do their best. Right now we have competition in every position. It makes training interesting and it’s not so easy for the manager to pick his squad every week.

“In defence we also have Christopher Jullien coming back. That’s also good as you want players who can contribute.”

Carl Starfelt comments suggest a happy Lennoxtown, as faces new and familiar join Celtic fold

Having Christopher Jullien back is an intriguing one; Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers have excelled as the centre-back pairing. Stephen Welsh, too, has come in and contributed effectively.

Starfelt is right though; we need options. And while continuity is important, especially in your centre-back pairing, the presence of Jullien as both a player and dressing room leader could be really important. Especially with Jullien’s experience of winning trophies with Celtic, despite not actually being here that long.

What this hints at, though, is a strong and settled Celtic camp. The squad looks reinvigorated, and has options in every position.

That’s exactly what we lacked last year, and when bad form or injuries took their toll, there wasn’t much Celtic could do. Without breaking the bank, Ange Postecoglou and Michael Nicholson have built an extremely formidable squad, and already have the only available silverware to show for it.

With the fixtures ahead of us, and three competitions to navigate, that depth is important. Carl Starfelt, himself hungry for more trophies, is cognisant of that.

Overall, though, the mood seems to be excellent at Lennoxtown. That’s incredibly important, as the crucial half of the 21-22 season emerges from behind the winter break.

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